Let Them Smash Cake: A Guide to Adorable Cake Smash Videos
There are few things cuter than a baby, but add in a cake and you’ve got cuteness on a whole new level. Enter the cake smash, a trend that’s taking children’s photography by storm recently. There are sure to be some priceless (and comical) moments in a cake smash, and what better way to capture the fun of the moment than with video? Check out this fun cake smash video from Alycia Alvarez of Alycia Savage Studios in Keller, Texas.
Style: Modern Minimalist
Song: “Birthday Boogaloo” by Ali Handal
With just a few adjustments to your shoot and a little time putting the video together, you can have a video parents can share on social media, spreading the word about your awesome photography in the process.
How to get the shots you need for your video
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Photograph in order: Take photos of the baby in his birthday outfit, and then let parents change him for the cake smash. While they do that, you can get your lighting for the cake ready and take a few quick shots of the cake by itself before it’s destroyed — as in Alycia’s example shot below.
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Know how to get the smash. Babies may not know icing is edible, so give them a little taste beforehand. Even if the baby doesn’t like the icing, you can still get some sweet images of him “discovering” the cake.
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Take photos and video clips from a variety of angles. In addition to taking pictures in front of the baby, try to get shots of the baby standing or crawling, or take photos above the baby or to the side. Even an image of the baby from behind can look amazing if composed well. And don’t forget to switch over to video mode occasionally, so you can add some movement to your video later.
How to create a cake smash video
- Choose a kid-friendly style: Check out some of our for children’s photography.
- Keep it short. A cake smash video is great for sharing with family and friends on social media, and they’re more likely to watch from start to finish if the video is under a minute.
- Add video clips. Even one or two clips can add energy and motion to your slideshow.
- Get creative. Personalize the video with the child’s name. You can also turn the session into a birthday party invitation for parents to share online.
- Add your logo. Make sure the people viewing your video know who created it and how to get in touch with you.
Creating a cake smash video can be as easy as (if not easier than) getting all the cake cleaned up after your session. If you’ve already created an adorable cake smash of your own, share it with us in the comments, or post it in the Animoto Social Video Marketing Community on Facebook.